15 October - 3 November 2009
about the exhibition
Sandra Black’s carved, pierced and etched porcelain forms are delicate and tranquil. Inspired by nature, Sandra combines abstract and organic shapes in fluid patterns to decorate her bowls and vessels. Evocative of lace, each porcelain form features a cut-out design, whereby negative space and areas of high relief create the decoration. The natural colouration of ebony and white Southern Ice porcelain emit a cool glow as light is captured and transmitted through the pieces. This effect is integral to Sandra’s aesthetic and is created from gas firing which produces a cool blue-grey look, or firing in an electric kiln which produces a warmer white appearance. Sandra uses a surgical blade to carve out her designs before using a Dremmel drill and dental instruments for piercing the porcelain form. Instead of glazes, Sandra relies on the polished surfaces of the clay to show the carving and piercing to their best advantage.
Sandra lives and works in Western Australia and studied at the WA Institute of Technology (now Curtin University). She has exhibited since 1976 both nationally and internationally. Sandra has taught at TAFEs and universities across Australia, and has presented conference lectures and workshops at home and abroad. Sandra Black’s work is widely collected and represented in regional, state, national and international collections including the National Gallery of Australia; the Art Gallery of Western Australia; the Museum and Gallery of Tasmania; the Toki Ceramic Research Institute, Japan and Red Deer College, Canada.
